December 20, 2018

China Travel Diary | Beijing, Wuxi, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai

It's still hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I travelled halfway around the world and got to visit the culturally-rich country that is the People's Rebulic of China! I had been wanting to visit for years, and when I came across a jaw-dropping deal online, I couldn't help but jump at the opportunity. I saw it as a sign that it was finally time to make the long journey! I spent close to two jam-packed weeks exploring Eastern China, starting off in Beijing, and then flew south to explore Wuxi, Suzhou, Hangzhou and finished off in Shanghai. From visiting the Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, the Olympic Center, a live Kung Fu show, a jade exhibition and the Great Wall of China in Beijing, to visiting Nanchang Street and Three Kingdoms City in Wuxi, to going on a Grand Canal Cruise and visiting the Couple's Garden in Suzhou, to taking a boat ride on Serene West Lake and sipping freshly brewed Dragon Well Green Tea at the plantation in Hangzhou, to walking Nanchang Street, seeing The Bund at night, soaking in the view from the observatory deck of the Jin Mao Tower and going on the Maglev train (aka the fastest train in the world!) in Shanghai, I hope you enjoy experiencing China through my eyes. Make sure to watch the video below in which I captured the beautiful scenery for your viewing pleasure!

Summer Palace, Beijing

Tiananmen Square, Beijing

Forbidden City, Beijing

Kung Fu Show, Red Theater, Beijing

Beijing Olympic Center

National Stadium ("Bird's Nest"), Beijing

Water Cube, Beijing

Jade Exhibition, Beijing

Great Wall of China (Juyongguan), Beijing

Nanchang Street, Wuxi

Three Kingdoms City (CCTV base), Wuxi

Spicy Tofu from Tofu Pudding, Truck Stop Vegan Fast Food

City Center, Wuxi

Grand Canal, Suzhou

Couple's Garden (Lotus Garden), Suzhou

Serene West Lake, Hangzhou

Fun fact: This is the exact scenery you see on a ¥1 yuan bill!

Dragon Well Green Tea Plantation, Hangzhou

Nanjing Road, Shanghai

Peace Hotel, Shanghai

The Bund, Shanghai

Pudong District, Shanghai

Shanghai Tower

Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center

Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai

Jin Mao Tower Observation Deck (88th floor), Shanghai

Longyang Maglev Train Station, Shanghai (fastest train in the world - goes up to 430 km/h!)

Visiting the most populated country in the world was definitely an eye-opening experience, and one I will treasure forever. This was my first time in Asia, and stepping foot on this new-to-me continent definitely sparked a desire to return and see what else it has to offer.

Itching for more travel content? Check out my recent Eurotrip where I explored London, Paris, Nice, Monaco, Brussels and Amsterdam, as well as my past trips to Alberta, Italy and Greece.

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